In sign A's are ready to compete, Butler finalizes $65.5 million, 7-year deal

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Lawrence Butler walked into the bright Arizona sunshine and sat down at a table and chairs on the field at Hohokam Stadium, grinning from ear to ear now over his $65.5 million, seven-year deal with the Athletics. The exact location of Butler's seat was no accident: in the middle of right field. The goal is that the 24-year-old standout will be a mainstay at the position through at least 2031 as the A's franchise embarks on a three-year stretch at a minor league park in the Sacramento area before moving to Las Vegas. "It's amazing," Butler said. "I've played with a lot of these guys on my team since Low-A ball. For a lot of us to come through the system together, make it to the big leagues, have success in the big leagues, it's huge for us and the organization. "It shows the A's don't just draft players and put them on the shelf. We love to develop players." Butler's deal includes a team option for 2032 that could make the contract worth $81.5 million and escalators that could increase the value to $87.5 million. A Georgia native who was a sixth-round pick in the 2018 amateur draft, Butler was on Oakland's opening-day roster last year before being demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on May 14 after hitting .179 with seven RBIs in his first 41 games. He was recalled on June 18 and batted .291 over the rest of the season, finishing with a .262 average, 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases. Butler's improvement coincided with much better baseball by the A's, who had a 32-32 record after the All-Star break and now believe they can realistically compete for a playoff spot in 2025. "His A's story represents the absolute best of this organization and the best of what we're looking for in players," Athletics general manager David Forst said. "This is not a former first-round pick sitting here. This is a sixth-round pick. A scouting triumph by Jemel Spearman, our area scout who has been here for 13 years. "This is a guy who touched every level of our organization." After finishing with the lowest payroll in the major leagues for three straight seasons, the A's have become a big-spender heading into the 2025 campaign, the first of at least three in West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park. In addition to Butler, they signed designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker to a $60 million, five-year contract, right-hander Luis Severino to a team-record $67 million, three-year deal and extended manager Mark Kotsay through at least 2028. "It's an exciting time to be with the A's, no doubt," Forst said. "These are things we've talked about for years and never had the ability to do, to be honest. Until our future was secured with Vegas, until we had these plans and have a timeline for 2028, they just weren't realistic." Butler gets a $3 million signing bonus, payable $1 million within 30 days' of the contract's approval by the commissioner's office, $1 million next Jan. 15 and $1 million on Jan. 15, 2027. He receives salaries of $2.25 million this year, $3.25 million in 2026, $5 million in 2027, $8 million in 2028, $10 million in 2029, $14 million in 2030 and $16 million in 2031. The team option is for $20 million with a $4 million buyout, and the price can increase by a maximum of $6 million based on MVP voting: $1 million for each top six-10 finish from 2029-31 and $2 million for each top five finish in those years. Butler earned $627,000 last season under a split contract that paid at a rate of the $740,000 minimum while in the major leagues and $121,826 while in the minors. He was on track to be eligible for salary arbitration after the 2026 season and for free agency following the 2029 World Series. ___ AP Baseball Writers Janie McCauley and Ronald Blum contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb